The law of unintended consequences

This doesn’t have much to do with information technology but it is related to patient safety, so here goes.

In the August issue of Biotechnology Healthcare, a publication I have written for a couple of times, is an interesting analysis of how certain provisions of Medicare Part B and the new Part D drug benefit that goes into effect next year might compete against each other. According to the article, the choice between physician-administered infusion therapy and an at-home drug regimen might come down to money rather than what would produce the best outcome, especially if reimbursements for physician services continue to lag inflation.

I wonder if the government bean counters figured this into their Part D cost estimates?